What Is Costume Jewelry?

From Wikipedia: The term costume jewelry dates back to the early 20th century. It reflects the use of the word "costume" to refer to what is now called an "outfit"; for example, a "handsome street costume of maroon brown velvet." Costume jewelry is meant to complement a particular fashionable garment or "costume"; Hence the name, "costume jewelry."

This photo shows three vintage necklaces. On the green three-strand necklace, the beads are plastic; some are smooth and some are coated with something that gives them texture. This necklace is strung on a cotton type string, and the clasp is a cheap hook clasp in base metal. Even though it's an inexpensive piece, I think it's still pretty.

This would be a perfect piece to take apart if you wanted to because it's not valuable. Or it could be used as a lovely necklace Fashion Jewelry Store? for a doll or teddy bear. Many vintage necklaces are really chokers (only about 15 or 16 inches long) that don't fit many "modern" women's necks! Another consideration is using costume jewelry that you just wouldn't wear, such as clip-on or screw-type earrings.

To learn about the value of specific costume jewelry pieces, look for a mark or signature. This is a small, often hard to find or read, name engraved or stamped on the metal part of a piece of jewelry. Some examples are Coro, Trifari, Coventry, and many others. Antiquing On Line provides three pages of jewelry makers' marks. This list is probably not comprehensive but it's a good start for identifying whether your jewelry has value. For more information, check the Amazon links below.